


Citrus

by Mod Piss Ninja (Ninjaghoes)



Series: Garmacest Week [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Garmacest Week, Garmacest Week: Day One, M/M, garmacest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 05:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14442498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninjaghoes/pseuds/Mod%20Piss%20Ninja
Summary: "Love you found me in the treesCitrus on my lipsLemon tea on my fingertipsAre you fascinated?"





	Citrus

For once, life is still.

There is no impending or looming grasp of doom and the prophecies ages told have come to pass. The world has found peace, a balance, and so life is still. Life is still and yet it is not. Though the darkness has dissipated, the world still turns. The creatures within are full of life and beauty, and that’s how it’s supposed to be.

But he’s never known life as it has supposed to have been, so he doesn’t know how to feel.

Lloyd Garmadon, the son of Lord Garmadon, has never known peace. He grew up fatherless and motherless and lived abhorred for his lineage, unable to find his own place even from a young age. While he may have become the prophesied queller of darkness, sometimes he feels as though he still hasn’t found his place.

Regardless of the fact, he has family, a home now. He can afford to spare a moment just to relish in the stillness of life, or rather the lack thereof.

His legs dangle from either side of branch, back flat against the thickest part of the bough. His fingers are sticky with the juice of a mandarin, peeling the skin away from the flesh with careful hands. He stares up into the canopy of leaves, the cool spring air rustling the brush above.

He’s never been able to enjoy nature before. Now that he has a place to call home, to go back to, the freshness of the forests and cold babbling springs are much more welcome. It’s nice to be able to see the natural world as a rare and beautiful thing rather than a violent environment unfit for a child to live. Lately, he finds that the air of the wood surrounding his father’s monastery always smells the best. It’s sweet, like the fruit bared by the trees at the base of the mountains.

The afternoon sun peeks through the hanging leaves and warms his skin, and he closes his eyes. Someone approaches his tree, but he doesn’t stir.

“I thought I might find you here.”

His father’s voice echoes from below, and he turns his head to look down. Garmadon carries a basket and his favorite kyusu teapot. He sets the basket and teapot on a patch of moss and looks up, the back of his hand a shield from the sunlight.

“You’ve been gone since the sun rose. The others have begun to wonder where you are, but I would never give away your tree.” Garmadon speaks, and Lloyd can feel the corners of his lips pull into a smile. His father continues.

“I understand you like your alone time-”

“No, you can stay. I like your compan-” Lloyd speaks finally, unable to contain his grin.

“You like your alone time, but you haven’t eaten anything proper yet so I made you something to eat until you feel like returning to the monastery.” Garmadon continues on, despite Lloyd’s interruption.

“You can stay, Dad.” Lloyd shakes his head, and Garmadon’s eyes soften.

“I know.” He smiles, an expression so full of warmth that Lloyd can feel his heart falter. With a swing on his leg, he drops from the tree and onto the soft bed of moss.

“Is that tea? You prefer coffee.” Lloyd settles into the fresh dirt against the base of the tree, and his father follows him.

“It’s only right to enjoy this weather with some fragrant lemon tea.” Garmadon reaches into the basket and pulls out two cups, pouring them each full with the aromatic citrus tea.

“Thank you.” Lloyd takes his cup and hold it in both hands. He breathes in deeply, a mix of hot lemon and fresh springtime wood. He hums as he brings the cup to his lips.

They sit in silence, as usual. The forest from down here is so much different than viewing it from the treetops, though no less breathtaking. He could sit for hours with his father and just watch the rustling brush and animals scurrying up the tree roots. His body is heavy from the pleasantness of the hot tea, and he finds that he really doesn’t want to leave. His lips draw together.

“I wish we could stay like this forever.” He keeps his gaze ahead, unwavering.

“I do too. Tomorrow is the last day you will be here.” Garmadon nods, Lloyd can see from the corner of his eye. He presses his shoulder to his father’s, just so that they can touch.

“I haven’t had you in my life very long, and I already have to leave. I’m going to miss all of this… I’m going to miss you.”

While Lloyd has never really felt like he belonged anywhere, he feels safe with his father. His father, the one who had garnered his love and respect as a child and kept it all through their rivalry and even now. Garmadon remains silent and allows Lloyd to continue after another sip of tea.

“I have to prepare speeches and travel across the world now that I’m the golden ninja. I can’t complain about how well things are for me now, but for once I’d like life to be just like this. Still.” Lloyd looks down at his tea. Garmadon plucks a mandarin from the basket, the fruit plentiful.

“While you have duties to attend to, there is nothing wrong with enjoying life for what it is while you have it. I’d much rather see you traveling and inspiring young people than being stuck here with your old father.” He chuckles, peeling the fruit. “Tomorrow is for missing one another, but for now we are here. For now you can breath in the mountain air and appreciate the natural beauty of these forests.”

Lloyd nods, silent.

“You’re right. Still, I would be happy to spend the rest of my life here with you.” He turns his gaze to his father whose calloused fingers shed the rest of the mandarin’s skin. He shakes his head.

“My love for you is endless, and yet I would sacrifice all that I have for you to be able to see the world. After spending so many years in the lifeless plane of the Underworld with the greying dirt and monochrome creatures, I can now only appreciate all you see before you. Every single day is a gift, Lloyd.” His fingers pull apart the flesh of the fruit. “I can now wake up to the beautiful forests and mountains with my beautiful son. But I want you to explore the world and all it has to offer, and then one day you will return and tell me all that you have seen.”

Garmadon’s expression is that of pure contentment, a small smile playing at his lips. His words are so sincere, so full of love that Lloyd can feel his heart swell. His throat threatens to close as if he might cry from the raw and genuine love from his father alone, and he scoots closer. Garmadon eats the split fruit pieces in his hand and gives the other portion to Lloyd.

“I knew this monastery was perfect the moment I saw it, because mandarins used to be your favorite. I think it’s a sign.”

“They’re still my favorite.” Lloyd shakes his head, and he can’t help the smile on his face. “Though I’ll travel the whole world, nothing will compare to just sitting here and eating mandarins with you. When I come back, we’ll sit under this very tree and I’ll tell you all about everything I see.” He scoots closer with a warm smile, so close to his father that their noses almost brush. They set the fruit and tea aside on the mossy bed, and their fingers draw towards one another and connect. Garmadon exhales fondly, and after a moment, he closes the gap between them. Lloyd’s eyes slip shut and he hums against his father’s lips, melting into the familiar embrace. Garmadon tastes of sweet orange citrus, and Lloyd knows that every mandarin will bring him back to this moment of serenity in the woods.

Though he may not feel as though he’s found his place quite yet, he will always find his way back to his father.

And for once, whether life is still or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that they’re _alive._

**Author's Note:**

> If you squint, there's a prompt here lol. I was writing outside and was too inspired by nature if you can't tell, so uhh whoops. 
> 
> Heavily inspired by the song Citrus by Holly Henry


End file.
